Seebohm to spearhead squad for world short-course titles

SWIMMING: Queensland's Emily Seebohm will set herself to swim at least six individual events at next month's World Short Course Championships in Windsor, Canada, after winning an unprecedented seven individual national titles at the Australian Championships in Brisbane.

No other swimmer has ever won seven individual golds in one national meet - let alone a three-day one.

Now with 14 national individual crowns, Seebohm won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events, the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 100m and 200m IM.

She added an eighth gold with the Brisbane Grammar 4x100m medley relay team, also including Minna Atherton, Aisling Scott and Brittany Elmslie.

The 24-year-old is among six members of Australia's Rio Olympic swim squad who will spearhead a 20-strong Dolphins team for the worlds from December 6-13.

The multi-talented all-rounder will again set herself for a busy six days of competition in Canada.

"My priorities will be the three backstrokes, the 100 individual medley and I love doing the 50s, but I will have to wait and see how the program works out - I haven't even had a look at it yet but I would not like to do any more than three (events) per day,” Seebohm said.

"The 200 IM would be the first one to go, I haven't really trained for that and would have to up my breaststroke training; I can get away with it in the 100 IM - it's a bit easier - it's only a sprint.”

Seebohm endured a disappointing Rio campaign, missing out on medals in the individual 100m and 200m backstroke events, though won silver in the 4x100m medley relay.

"I haven't really had a break since Rio,” she said. "I had the second week. Then I did the World Cups, came home had the week off and then went back into training ... If I had had a big break it would have been harder.

"I have enjoyed training in the mornings and then having the rest of the day to myself and maybe going riding and do something else other than swimming.

"I was happy with the way I handled Rio. It definitely wasn't what I wanted out of it and I thought 'well that's what's happened' and did not really dwell on it for a long time.

"I thought 'well that sucks' but I'll keep going. It's good to have world short course there because it's something I've been working towards.

"I'm now going to take every year as it comes and just see how my body is handling it and how I'm feeling mentally and physically. That is my priority before I decide I'm going to go for 2020.

"I'd love to say I can do it but I'm heading towards my 10th straight year on the team ... that would be 14 years on the team; maybe it's a matter of working on a different routine for me and seeing how that works.”

Seebohm will be joined in the world titles squad by fellow Rio medallists Mitch Larkin, David Morgan, Brittany Elmslie and Jessica Ashwood.

Four other Rio medallists - Kyle Chalmers, Cam McEvoy, Maddi Wilson and Maddie Groves - were all unavailable for selection.